SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR REAL-TIME DATA COMMUNICATIONS AND MESSAGING WITH OPERATORS OF SMALL UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS (sUAS)

ABSTRACT

A system and method are provided to support safe integration of small unmanned aircraft systems (sUASs) into the National Airspace Structure in the United States. Substantially real-time data communication provides interested parties with an ability to communicate directly with an operator of the sUAS during system operations. Individual interactive user interfaces are used to implement two way text-like messaging directly with the sUAS control console to enhance safety and reduce conflicts with operations of the sUAS. When an instance arises in which an air traffic controller needs to advise an sUAS operator regarding an unauthorized sUAS mission or a requirement to keep an sUAS clear of a specific block of airspace or specific geographic location due to an immediate, emergent and/or unforeseen event, a means is provided by which to more effectively and more quickly communicate directly with the sUAS operator.

This application is related to U.S. patent application No. [AttorneyDocket Number 046-0072], entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SMALLUNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS (sUAS) TACTICAL TRACKING AND MISSION DATAACQUISITION,” filed on Mar. 11, 2013, the disclosure of which is herebyincorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Disclosed Embodiments

This disclosure relates to systems and methods for implementingsubstantially real-time data communications and text messaging toprovide interested parties with an ability to more effectivelycommunicate with an operator of a Small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS)during system operations.

2. Related Art

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), as that term may be broadlyinterpreted, have existed in many different forms since the earliestdays of flight. The earliest implementations involved the use ofballoons, for example, for battle area reconnaissance and surveillance.This disclosure will use the term “Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS(s))”to refer to a particular class of UAVs that excludes, for example,missiles, unmanned rockets and weather and/or reconnaissance balloons.UASs are that broad class of UAVs, often commonly referred to as dronesand/or remotely piloted vehicles (RPVs) that are differentiated fromother UAVs, such as those enumerated above, because the UAS platformsare capable of controlled flight from launch, through in-flightoperations, to recovery and/or landing in a manner similar to aconventional piloted airplane or helicopter. The control schemes forthese UASs may include real-time or near-real-time control of the flightprofile by an operator at a remote control console in constantcommunication with a particular UAS. Alternatively, the control schemesfor these UASs may include execution of preplanned and preprogrammedflight plans, which are autonomously executed by a particular UAS.Depending on a sophistication of the UAS, the control scheme may includean integration of both of the above-discussed control schemes such thata single “flight” may include periods of remote operator control andperiods of preprogrammed control.

In early implementations, UASs tended to be small aerial vehicles withsignificant payload size, weight and power (SWAP) limitations. Based onvery strict SWAP constraints, the capabilities of early UASs werelimited and heavily dependent on technology miniaturization. These UASssaw early operational deployment for use by, for example, militariesworldwide to provide, among other missions, battle area reconnaissanceand surveillance, and spoofing of adversary threat weapons systems whenaugmented with radar reflectors, for example, to act as decoys. Thepayload constraints were a significant limiting factor in the deploymentof the earliest UASs for these and other military uses. Nonetheless, thepopularity and efficacy of these systems on the battlefield were readilyrecognized. Missions could be undertaken that did not put aircrew inunnecessarily dangerous situations. Low cost added to the operationalemployment advantage for military-operated UASs in that these platformswere more readily expendable than other assets.

A desire to expand the role of UASs in support of military operationsled to a requirement to develop UASs with increased payload capacity.Increased payload capacity had a number of advantages. First, someportion of an additional payload capacity could be dedicated to thecarriage of additional fuel to extend ranges, and potential loitertimes, for the systems in-flight. Second, some portion of an additionalpayload capacity could be dedicated to the carriage of a broader arrayof sensors to support expanded mission requirements, particularlysensors of all types that did not need to be specifically modified orminiaturized to be accommodated by the UAS. Third, some portion of anadditional payload capacity could be dedicated to the carriage ofordnance carriage for delivery on, and use against, targets of varyingdescriptions.

Having proved their usefulness on the modern battlefield, employment ofUAS platforms and the associated technology was studied for fielding ina broader array of operational scenarios far beyond military-only use.Many commercial entities and law enforcement agencies began developingnoting operational requirements that could be filled through adaptiveuse of UAS technology. A focus of the development efforts for UASplatforms returned to exploring operation of smaller, more economicalUAS platforms. Several manufacturers have worked with customer entitiesand agencies to develop, test and manufacture small UAS (sUAS)platforms, which are often lightweight, low cost aerial platforms thatmay be remotely piloted by an sUAS operator at a control andcommunication console in fairly close proximity to, often visual sightof, the sUAS in operation. To date, sUAS platforms have been limitedlydeployed in support of law enforcement and other agency or individualsurveillance requirements. sUAS platforms play an increasing role inmany public service and public support missions, which include, but arenot limited to, border surveillance, wildlife surveys, militarytraining, weather monitoring, fire detection and monitoring, and myriadlocal law enforcement surveillance support missions.

A challenge to increasingly expanded employment of UAS platformsgenerally in many domestic, non-military scenarios, particularly in theUnited States, stems from platforms not having aircrew onboard that areable (1) to detect other close and/or conflicting aerial traffic and/or(2) to effect timely maneuvers to avoid collisions based on visual- orsensor-detected proximity to such conflicting aerial traffic.

As the role of UAS platforms expanded, an issue that had to be addressedwas the growing potential for these platforms to be involved in serioussafety-related incidents, including near and actual midair collisionsbetween UAS platforms and other UAS platforms and/or conventionalaircraft operating in close proximity to one another in both controlledand uncontrolled airspace environments.

Traffic detection and avoidance problems present themselves all toofrequently in areas of heavy UAS deployment such as, for example, inmilitary missions flown in forward theaters of operation. These problemswere understood to present a significant drawback to expanding UASdeployment that was envisioned to fulfill growing military, lawenforcement and other specific aerial surveillance and monitoringrequirements in areas of otherwise operating aerial traffic. Expansionof UAS operations in the United States, for example, was initiallyinhibited by lack of a common understanding regarding what was requiredto safely and routinely operate a UAS in the National Airspace System(NAS). Challenges such as the lack of an onboard pilot to see and avoidother aircraft and the wide variation in unmanned aircraft missions andcapabilities needed to be addressed in order to fully integrate UASoperations in the NAS and in other controlled and uncontrolled airspaceworldwide. Employment scenarios had to be studied that included, butwere not limited to, border patrol surveillance, rural aerial lawenforcement surveillance, and myriad commercial uses such as, forexample, pipeline monitoring, and deconfliction of these efforts fromroutine manned commercial, military and general aviation aircraft had tobe established. Use of UAS platforms in law enforcement, homelandsecurity and such commercial applications was evaluated as promising toprove fruitful if certain identified shortfalls in the UAS platformsthat were available could be overcome.

Efforts were undertaken to, for example, incorporate and demonstrate anassured level of Collision Avoidance (CA) in the UAS platforms. The U.S.Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), for example, levied a requirementthat UAS platforms must have a demonstrable CA capability with anEquivalent Level Of Safety (ELOS) to a manned aircraft before beingcertified to fly in the NAS. In order to meet this requirement,substantial investment was made to support research into UAS-based,i.e., “on aircraft,” CA technologies. A variety of sensors and/or sensorarrays were considered that were conventionally employed to detect,track and/or report information regarding manned aerial traffic,including myriad active and passive sensors to self-detect conflictingaerial traffic. It was recognized that those systems had been developedto augment, or to be augmented by, a specific aircrew's ability tosee-and-avoid proximate conflicting aerial traffic. It was alsorecognized that extensive communication capabilities were incorporatedinto manned aircraft in order that traffic separation may be implementedby communication with ground-based and/or airborne radar or other sensorcapable facilities.

While the above-described sensor and communication capabilities, as theywere developed for manned aircraft, were understood to supportman-in-the-loop CA, they were not originally considered as beingeffective in providing CA for UAS platforms. In fact, it was understoodthat there were distinct differences between capabilities that manageaerial traffic in the NAS providing “traffic separation” and those thatmay be employed for assuring CA. CA, as it was understood at the timethat initial introduction of UAS platforms into the NAS was beingconsidered, was ultimately left, in the case of manned aerial vehicles,to the aircrew operating those aerial vehicles. It is this distinctionbetween traffic separation and CA that formed the basis levied by theFAA for the requirement for an ELOS in the employment of a UAS in theNAS.

It was recognized that, when the individual aircrew, or man-in-the-loop,was removed from the system in the transition from a manned aircraft toa UAS, the ability of the aircrew to see-and-avoid conflicting aerialtraffic was removed. The see-and-avoid capability, therefore, wasreplaced in UAS platforms by a Sense-and-Avoid (SAA) capability. Such acapability was developed and made increasingly robust so as to beresponsive enough to detect conflicting aerial traffic and analyze thepotential for conflict. The analysis was required to be quick andaccurate enough (1) to provide cues to a remote operator of the UAS toinitiate evasive maneuvers, or (2) to provide command guidance to theUAS such that the UAS would autonomously initiate such evasive maneuversin response to the command guidance.

These initial difficulties inhibiting broader UAS employment have beenlargely addressed such that the use and operation of conventional largerUAS platforms is well understood and regulated. These larger UASplatforms incorporate systems such as, for example: (1) UAS-based radardetection and transmission systems; (2) other UAS-based systems that candetect and fuse information from aircraft transponder and/orairframe-mounted traffic alert and collision avoidance systems (TCAS),particularly those including transponder mode S and/or automaticdependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) capabilities; (3) precisegeo-location capabilities; (4) optical technologies via airframe mountedcamera systems, to include low-light level and infra-red capabilities;and (5) acoustic and/or laser ranging systems, to support CA in furthersupport of integration of the systems into the NAS. These are all viableoptions, which are employed in varying combinations to address SAAconcerns and effective aerial traffic deconfliction for larger UASplatforms.

The same systems and rules do not translate, however, to enabling theuse of widespread employment of commercially-available sUAS platforms.sUAS platforms, and the intricacies of their incorporation into abroader array of operational scenarios in the NAS, have been largelyoverlooked. As indicated above, sUAS platforms represent some amount ofa regression to earlier UAS considerations that were never effectivelyaddressed. Their smaller size, inherent lack of technical capabilitiesregarding communications, and limited payload, all of which areconsiderations in maintaining a low cost profile in procurement andoperation, reintroduce difficulties in that any onboard-mounted systemmay not only stress the SWAP considerations for the UAS based on thecarriage of the system alone, but may further stress the SWAPconsiderations by requiring additional system support components toperform rudimentary system sensor fusion, and data formatting andtransmission capacity for even raw sensor data.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSED SUBJECT MATTER

In response to the lack of any meaningful consideration given tofacilitating the integration of sUAS platforms into the NAS, it would beadvantageous to provide systems and methods by which to implement acertain minimum, or otherwise acceptable, level of situational awarenessand communications capabilities to reduce risk and assist in the safeintegration of the sUAS platforms in the NAS.

It would be further advantageous to provide a specific response toconcerns voiced by the FAA and other agencies regarding strategicmanagement of sUAS platforms, including a need for better communicationbetween interested parties and the operator of a particular sUAS in realtime.

The solution should consider the capabilities of the sUAS in a systemscontext that includes the aerial vehicle (with its associated payload);one or more remote human operators; and a command, control andcommunications (C3) system for communication with, and operation of, theaerial vehicle by the one or more remote human operators. The C3 systemassociated with each sUAS provides the essential hub with whichcommunications may be established to a number of beneficial purposes.

Since the early 1990s, the FAA has been accommodating UAS operations inthe NAS on a case by case basis. In recent years, the number of requeststo fly UAS platforms in the NAS has risen significantly, with publicoperations alone increasing by over 900% between 2004 and 2013. Theunique capabilities and significant benefits that sUAS platforms arecapable of delivering contribute to an increased operational demand bypublic and civil operators.

Commercial opportunities and uses of sUAS platforms are attractive onmany levels, but primarily due to their lower cost of ownership andoperation when compared to conventional airplanes and helicopters. Theselow exploitation costs also permit their use in areas where aircraft maynot have been considered to represent a cost effective technology, suchas agricultural sensing and surveying on small scale.

In the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, Congress mandated thatthe Secretary of Transportation publish a final rule on allowing sUASemployment in the NAS) by mid-2014 with the intent of providing safeintegration of all civil UAS platforms by late-2015.

Exemplary embodiments of the systems and methods according to thisdisclosure may provide a unique capability to support an objective ofaccommodating safe integration of expanding operations for sUASplatforms seamlessly in the NAS.

Exemplary embodiments may provide a specifically-tailored service thataddresses the above-enumerated concerns with an understanding thatproducts and services that are easily accommodated in larger UASs cannotbe feasibly employed in a broad array of sUAS platforms due to theirlimited payload capabilities and the low cost nature of the market.

Exemplary embodiments may provide systems and methods that are uniquelyconfigured to address a change of paradigm from aircraft-based avionicsand capabilities to a ground-based solution centered on, for example, amobile ground control electronic station that may be typically employedto manage a sUAS mission and/or flight.

Exemplary embodiments may integrate appropriate software, server andsystem components into an interactive, easy-to-use, web-based tool (suchas ARINC's proprietary Web Aircraft Situation Display (WebASD^(SM)) andOpCenter) that provides stakeholders with real-time, graphicalflight-following information. Exemplary embodiments may employ theintegrated software, server and system components to acquire positioninformation regarding an sUAS platform from the control console for thesUAS platform.

Exemplary embodiment may forward the acquired position information to aseparate server that can augment and provide graphical display(WebASD^(SM) and other graphical products) of the sUAS intended route offlight (flight planned route). The actual position of the sUAS may bereceived from the sUAS via its ground-based control console andautomatically updated on the remote display substantially in real-time.In embodiments, the acquired position information for the sUAS may beconverted to a format commonly used by aviation and air traffic controlsystems, such as, for example, into a pseudo ADS-B (FANS 1/A like) trackmessage to share with other systems, including FAA/ATC systems.

Exemplary embodiments may provide interested parties, via someinteractive user interface including a graphical display or a GraphicalUser Interface (GUI) to interact with the sUAS operator at the sUAScontrol console using two way text-like messaging directly with the sUAScontrol console. This capability will provide more timely information toand from the sUAS operator to enhance safety and reduce conflicts withoperations of the sUAS.

Exemplary embodiments may enhance the locational situation awareness forthe sUAS operator through the integration of a text messaging capabilitythat can be used to effect real-time communications with the sUASoperator that is directly in control of the sUAS.

Exemplary embodiments may centrally archive relevant data in order toprovide a non-real time reporting capability for mission reconstructionand process evaluation, particularly in an event of a conflict arisingbetween operation of a particular sUAS and other aerial assets.

Exemplary embodiments may be used to display an sUAS mission, e.g.,projected flight plan and/or route, and to track and display the actualreal-time location of the sUAS as it operates to a plurality ofinterested and participating agencies in an easy-to-follow format thatis integrated with the existing display capabilities of the interestedand participating agencies.

Exemplary embodiments may address the lack of any currently-availablesystem and/or technology for tracking and real-time visualization of alocation of an sUAS or for communications between interested parties andan sUAS operator. The interested parties may include, for example,agencies overseeing an area in which one or more sUAS platforms arebeing operated, potentially by more than one operating entity or agency,to de-conflict sUAS operations from each other, from other aerialvehicle operations and/or from other events that may be occurring in thearea, which could hazard, or be hazarded by, sUAS operations. Forexample, if an instance arises in which an FAA Air Traffic Controllerwishes to advise a sUAS operator regarding an authorized sUAS mission ora requirement to keep an sUAS clear of a specific block of airspace ofspecific geographic location due to an immediate, emergent and/orunforeseen event, there is conventionally no means by which to do so ina timely manner. The FAA Air Traffic Controller must relay informationto the sUAS operator using conventional landline or cellular phone,which may not be answered directly by the sUAS operator.

Exemplary embodiments may provide a capability for interested parties,including DHS, DOJ, FAA, local law enforcement agencies and commercialsUAS operators, to monitor the sUAS missions in real time as well as toprovide a mechanism for these interested parties to communicate directlywith an operator of a specific sUAS using text messaging products thatare currently deployed for conventional aircraft operations.

Exemplary embodiments may leverage use of available low-costcommunications and tracking technologies, which may be integrated withexisting systems currently in use for commercial aircraft, to providecost effective capabilities for the sUAS operator and a significantincrease in the situational awareness to airspace operators and otherinterested parties in a manner that would significantly assist in theintegration of the sUAS in the NAS.

These and other features and advantages of the disclosed systems andmethods are described in, or apparent from, the following detaileddescription of various exemplary embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various exemplary embodiments of the disclosed systems and methods forimplementing substantially real-time data communications and textmessaging to provide interested parties with an ability to moreeffectively communicate with an operator of an sUAS during systemoperations, will be described, in detail, with reference to thefollowing drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a network environment inwhich a large scale UAS may be operated for deconfliction with otherconventional aerial traffic;

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of an overview of an sUAScommand and control network environment in which remote monitoring formission tracking and mission data acquisition, and real-time datacommunication and messaging, may be implemented according to thisdisclosure;

FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary system 300 that is operable as a moredetailed sUAS command and control network environment in which remotemonitoring for mission tracking and mission data acquisition, andreal-time data communication and messaging, may be implemented accordingto this disclosure; and

FIG. 4 illustrates a flowchart of an exemplary method for for effectingremote monitoring for mission tracking and mission data acquisition, andreal-time data communication and messaging, between an sUAS operatorcommand and control console and one or more remote interested agenciesentities or operators according to this disclosure.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSED EMBODIMENTS

The disclosed systems and methods for implementing substantiallyreal-time data communications and text messaging to provide interestedparties with an ability to more effectively communicate with an operatorof a Small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) during system operations willgenerally refer to these specific utilities for those systems andmethods. Exemplary embodiments described and depicted in this disclosureshould not be interpreted as being specifically limited to anyparticular configuration of an sUAS including any particular smallunmanned aircraft or aerial platform, or any particular cooperatingcontrol station by which an operator provides command, control andcommunication (C3) services with respect to operation of the smallunmanned aircraft or aerial platform. Any advantageous use of aninteractive communication system for integrating real-time, ornear-real-time, information regarding a position and operations of oneor more sUAS platforms to provide situational awareness regarding otheractivities in a vicinity of the one or more aUAS platforms in arecognizable format depending on user agency preference and to provide astreamlined communication mechanism directly to the sUAS operatorregarding potential conflicts with those other activities in support ofstrategice integration of sUAS operations in a controlled oruncontrolled airspace environment is contemplated.

Specific reference to, for example, any particular sUAS component and/orany particular communication capability presented in this disclosureshould be understood as being exemplary only, and not limiting, in anymanner, to any particular class of sUASs as that term is defined above,or to any communication link. The systems and methods according to thisdisclosure will be described as being particularly adaptable toemployment scenarios for, and configurations of, sUASs in which theaerial vehicles are flown by an operator with a cooperating controlconsole, the operator having visual contact with the aerial platform forsubstantially all of a flight duration. These references are meant to beillustrative only in providing a single real-world utility for thedisclosed systems and methods, and should not be considered as limitingthe disclosed systems and methods.

Additional features and advantages of the disclosed embodiments will beset forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obviousfrom the description, or may be learned by practice of the disclosedembodiments. The features and advantages of the disclosed embodimentsmay be realized and obtained by means of the instruments andcombinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. These andother features of the present disclosed embodiments will become morefully apparent from the following description and appended claims, ormay be learned by the practice of the disclosed embodiments as set forthherein.

Various embodiments of the disclosed embodiments are discussed in detailbelow. While specific implementations are discussed, it should beunderstood that this is done for illustration purposes only. A personskilled in the relevant art will recognize that other components andconfigurations may be used without parting from the spirit and scope ofthe disclosed embodiments.

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary embodiment 100 of a network environmentin which a large scale UAS may be operated for deconfliction with otherconventional aerial traffic. For context, the depiction represented inFIG. 1 may be considered generally applicable to the currentimplementation of a command, control and communication scheme forintegrating “large” UAS operation for UAS platforms greater than 55pounds in a current or next generation architecture that relies heavilyon UAS based communications equipment relaying location informationdirectly to the ground based FAA infrastructure. For example, the FAAhas proposed that ADS-B will likely be a mandatory equipmentrequirement. More broadly, the FAA has described how large scale UASplatforms may be integrated into the NAS and the regulations regardingcommunications. These schemes apply technology that relies heavily onconventional aircraft avionic technology that is limitedly adapted foruse in a larger UAS, but that is is not fit for sUAS adaptation due tosize and cost.

FIG. 1 broadly depicts an integration scheme as outlined in the FAAdocument “Integrating UAS in The NAS—Ops Concept,” dated Sep. 28, 2012,which highlights the elements proposed as necessary in order to“strategically manage” large UASs in the NAS.

As shown in FIG. 1, a large scale unmanned aircraft 110 may be operatedfrom a dedicated and corresponding UAS control station 140. The UAScontrol station 140 is likely part of a fixed, or semi-fixed, unit,potentially large in size and extensive in sophistication that itselfincludes significant communication capabilities itself. Communicationand control links may be direct, between the large scale unmannedaircraft 110 and the corresponding UAS control station. Otherwise, thesecommunications may be extended through a networked communicatingenvironment 160 and one or more communication satellites 130.Currently-available communications equipment may afford the large scaleunmanned aircraft 110 and/or the UAS control station 140 to communicatewith other conventional manned aerial vehicles 120 operated in avicinity of the large scale unmanned aircraft 110. In the mannerdepicted in FIG. 1, not only do the conventional manned aerial vehiclescommunicate directly with the various air traffic control facilities 150in the NAS architecture, but the UAS control stations 140 and the largescale unmanned aircraft 110 may communicate directly with the airtraffic control facilities 150 as well. Robust systems architectures andinfrastructures exist, which are supplemented by commercial providersincluding, for example ARINC, to fulfill strategic implementation andintegration goals for the large scale unmanned aircraft 110 in the NAS.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary embodiment 200 of an overview of an sUAScommand and control network environment in which remote monitoring formission tracking and mission data acquisition, and real-time datacommunication and messaging, may be implemented according to thisdisclosure. The known solutions that provide robust schemes forintegration of large scale unmanned aircraft are strictly limited in thecontext of any applicability to sUAS implementation. The operationalconcepts applicable to the system depicted in FIG. 1 overlook, andotherwise do not address any notions regarding sUAS and make no specificrecommendations for like strategic integration of sUAS platforms andoperations in the NAS. The disclosed scheme, as broadly depicted in FIG.2 addresses this current shortfall.

As shown in FIG. 2, an exemplary command, control and communicationstructure is proposed that accounts for the configuration of sUASplatforms and concepts regarding their intended employment. One or moresmall unmanned aircraft 210,215 may be operated by a cooperating sUAScontrol station 240,245. The sUAS control station may preferably beoperated by an operator that maintains line of sight visualization ofthe small unmanned aircraft 210,215 during flight. Currently commercialoperations of sUAS platforms, such as the small unmanned aircraft210,215, are limited by FAA regulations. sUAS platforms are those smallunmanned aircraft weighing less than 55 pounds. sUAS platforms,according to current operating limitations, can only be operated outsideof controlled airspace, in line of sight to the operator, duringdaylight hours, below 400 feet above ground level (AGL), and must beauthorized by an FAA (Certificate Of Authorization—COA)

The sUAS control station 240,245 may typically be comprised of aportable computing device in the form of a mobile ground station and/orlaptop computer. The sUAS control station 240,245 may enable a radiolink for implementing two-way data communications between the smallunmanned aircraft 210,215 and the respective corresponding sUAS controlstation (portable computing device) 240,245. Tactical operating stationsand conventional radio transmitters may also and separately be used tofly small unmanned aircraft 210,215 dynamically.

Where large scale unmanned aircraft are more complex and typically carrymultiple communications devices and avionics, such as ADS-B transmittersand transponders (with associated power and antenna systems), the smallunmanned aircraft 210,215 payload typically includes a ground stationcommunications link enabling line of sight wireless communicationbetween the small unmanned aircraft 210,215 and the respectivecorresponding sUAS control station (portable computing device) 240,245.The small unmanned aircraft 210,215 may also carry various lightweightsensor packages, such as, for example, cameras and environmentalsensors. The small unmanned aircraft 210,215 may pass sensor informationand positioning to the respective corresponding sUAS control station240,245. In embodiments, position information for the small unmannedaircraft 210,215 may be by way of a miniature global positioningsatellite (GPS) system receiver mounted on the small unmanned aircraft210,215.

Communication may be established between the one or more sUAS controlstations 240,245 and one or more cooperating entities represented inFIG. 2 by air traffic control facility 250. These communications may bedirect from the sUAS control stations 240,245 and the air trafficcontrol facility 250, or otherwise may be via some networkedcommunicating environment 260. The networked communicating environment260 may include other agencies or entities that may collect and processdata from the sUAS control stations 240,245. Alternatively, thenetworked communicating environment 260 may include one or more sUASservers as will be discussed in more detail with reference to FIG. 3below.

FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary system 300 that is operable as a moredetailed sUAS command and control network environment in which remotemonitoring for mission tracking and mission data acquisition, andreal-time data communication and messaging, may be implemented accordingto this disclosure. As shown in FIG. 3, individual system components maybe programmed to cooperatively provide the following capabilities:

-   -   Ground controller based track acquisition application (or        application programming interface (API) or interface        control/requirements document (ICD/IRD));    -   Mission and/or flight plan extractor (or API or ICD/IRD);    -   Host- and/or server-based sUAS information (tracks and missions)        repository and location conversion (pseudo ADS-B tracks);    -   Graphical situation display for planned mission and real-time        locations; and    -   Integrated messaging capability.

The exemplary system 300 may include a small unmanned aircraft 310 thatcarries one or more sensors. The small unmanned aircraft 310 may includea geolocation module 312 that may provide positioning information forthe small unmanned aircraft 310 to the sUAS control station 320. Sensorand positioning information may be transmitted from the small unmannedaircraft 310 to the sUAS control station 320 via one or morecommunication module(s) 314, which may include a radio transceiver.

The exemplary system 300 may include a core system capability thatenables the exemplary system 300 to share real-time information withremote entities/user agencies. This core system capability may beimplemented by one or more software modules resident on the sUAS controlstation 320. The one or more software modules may include a missioncontrol module 322, an information extraction module 324 and a messagingapplication module 326. The information extraction module 324 may, forexample, listen to communications between the small unmanned aircraft310 and the mission control module 322 of the sUAS control station 320.The information extraction module 324 may convert the positionalinformation for the small unmanned aircraft 310 and communicate theconverted positional information to an sUAS (track) server 330.

Alternatively, an API may be supplied to the sUAS control stationmanufacturer in order that the API may integrate the positionalinformation and mission waypoint data sharing directly into theirapplication. As well as the positional information, the application mayalso capture mission and/or flight plan data and forward the missionlegs to the sUAS server 330. Protocols currently prototyped includeMAVLINK 1.0 and UAVLINK. Except for configuration, this application mayrequire no user interaction and may execute as a background applicationentirely. At the discretion of the sUAS operator, communications betweenthis application in the sUAS control station 320 and the sUAS server 330may be monitored. The application, resident on the sUAS control station320, may communicate with the sUAS server 330, which may be remote fromany one or more of the sUAS control stations 320, via any availablecommunication link, including and particularly any available internetconnection.

The application may be configured as a strictly background task runningon the sUAS control station 320, including on the information extractionmodule 324, to provide a conduit for transmitting position informationconstantly, or otherwise according to a prescribed time interval whichmay be preferably set at nominally 10 seconds, from the small unmannedaircraft 310 to a tracked data collection acquisition module 332 in thesUAS server. The position information may or may not be displayed on adisplay screen of the sUAS control station 320 for monitoring by thesUAS operator.

Essentially, the sUAS control station 320 information extraction module324 or background data capture application has two basic functions: (1)extracting mission and/or flight plan including waypoint information andsending this information to a planned mission datacollection/acquisition module 334 in an sUAS server 330 for eachmission; and (2) constantly monitoring and capturing real-time positioninformation sent from the small unmanned aircraft 310 to the sUAScontrol station 320 for formatting and relaying to the track datacollection/acquisition module 332 of the sUAS server 330.

The track and/or position information communicated by the informationextraction module 324 or the background data capture application of thesUAS control station 320 to the to the track data collection/acquisitionmodule 332 of the sUAS server 330 may include, preferably in a formatsimilar to an ADS-C periodic position report, at a minimum: (1) sUASidentification; (2) report time and date; (3) current Latitude/Longitudeand altitude; and (4) GPS status and/or fix quality, when used.

The planned mission and/or waypoint information communicated by theinformation extraction module 324 or the background data captureapplication of the sUAS control station 320 to the to the plannedmission data collection/acquisition module 334 of the sUAS server 330may include, at a minimum: (1) sUAS identification; (2) start pointLatitude/Longitude and altitude (likely zero); (3) track waypointnumber, Latitude/Longitude, and planned altitude at the waypoint; (4) anumber of waypoints; and an end point Latitude/Longitude and altitude(likely zero). It is envisioned that the start point and end pointlocations may typically be the same.

The sUAS server 330 may act as a data collection/acquisition controlpoint for collecting information on planned tracks and actual real-timeposition for a plurality of small unmanned aircraft 310 as provided tothe sUAS server 330 by an sUAS control station 320 associated with eachsmall unmanned aircraft 310. Individual modules may be provided tofacilitate the data collection/acquisition functions in the sUAS server330. The sUAS server 330 may integrally include or may be otherwiseconnected to a storage unit for data storage/archiving 344. The sUASserver 330 may include one or more acquired data translation modules 338that may be used, for example to translate the acquired data for eachsUAS into a format that is typically used in air traffic controlfacilities such as, for example, conversion to pseudo ADS-B tracks.

The sUAS server 330 may include modules for executing several functionalcapabilities. These may include a track data collection/acquisitionmodule 332 and a planned mission data collection/acquisition module 334for processing track and mission data from the one or more sUAS controlstations 320. A data storage device may be associated with the sUASserver 330 for track and mission data storage/archiving 344, which maybe used to support a report generating capability. An acquired datatranslation module 338 may be provided for data format conversion, whichmay be used to facilitate track and mission data forwarding in a mannerthat pre-formats the information to be in a form that may beaccommodated by end user systems. A messaging application server module336 may be provided to act as a text messaging gateway and for storageand archiving of the text messaging.

The sUAS server 330 communicates with each sUAS control station 320information extraction module 324 as a track and mission informationextractor application (or API), the data storage/archiving 344 serverand end users and systems over a highly reliable and securecommunications link, such as, for example, IP—GlobaLink. The end usersand systems may include air traffic control facilities via FAA/ATCinterface(s) 350, and user WEB-based data display interfaces 340 anduser WEB-based text interfaces 342.

Many widely dispersed user WEB-based data display interfaces 340 mayprovide an ability to graphically view sUAS locations in near real-timeoverlaid on a depiction of the planned route and/or mission to provideenhanced situational awareness for interested parties. An enhancedWebASD^(SM) product is proposed as a suitable situation display for sUASusers and interested parties. Other technologies, such as Google Earth®could also be exploited as a tracking display, but may lack theintegration of other aircraft that are flying and thus may be of limitedvalue to certain of the interested parties. As indicated above positionsmay be updated every ten seconds via a refresh mode in the sUAS server330. The attractiveness of a product such as webASD^(SM) is thecapability of integrating the position or track display of one or allsUAS platforms with all other know aircraft as well as flight-relatedinformation such as weather phenomena, to provide a real airspacesituation picture.

An FAA/ATC interface 350 may be provided in communication with the sUASserver 330 for facilitating communications with the FAA/ATC users 360.The FAA/ATC interface 350 may include individual operating modules: adedicated WEB-based text messaging interface 352; an air traffic controlflight data processing (ATC FDP) input/output interface 354; and an ATCRADAR track integration module 356. Civil Aviation Authorities worldwideemploy integrated RADAR and various other synthetic position displaytechnologies in order to view situation information to safely manageconventional aircraft traffic. While sUAS operators have obtained priorFAA approval in order to fly each mission, ATC is unable to determinethe actual location of sUAS activity or to accurately predict where sUASplatforms are intended to be operated at any given time. In order tofacilitate more sUAS activity, the FAA/ATC interface 350 mayadvantageously integrate multiple sUAS missions and subsequent real-timetracking of sUAS platform locations received via the ATC FDPinput/output interface 354 through operation of an ATC RADAR input trackintegration module 356.

Situational or graphic displays depicting real-time location andintended routes may be achieved and integrated in several different waysto satisfy different user requirements or to be integrated into specificexisting technologies. Methods of providing an integrated graphicaldisplay may include differing strategies.

Conversion of sUAS track info may be undertaken to provide theinformation in a format and protocol that can be ingested into existingand future FAA ATC systems. A pseudo/simplified ADS (A,B or C—FANS 1/A)message architecture may be appropriate. Appropriate consideration maybe given to alleviating the potential for misunderstanding. As indicatedin the background discussion above, it should be understood that, whilethe generated and displayed sUAS position information is suitable forsituational awareness, it may not provide suitable separation assurance.

The sUAS mission and position information may be converted to an ADS-Btype message by the sUAS server 330. The sUAS mission and positioninformation may be delivered to FAA/ATC users 360 (and FAA RADARprocessor systems) via the ATC FDP input/output interface 354 as anintegrated input for display on existing controller display units (CDU).This would eliminate extra hardware needed to display sUAS traffic andmissions and would seamlessly integrate with the display of actualreal-time air traffic on the CDU. ATC decisions could be made afterreflecting on an integrated picture. In order to facilitate thisintegration, the sUAS mission and position information may be generated,for example, by an ATC RADAR input track integration module 356 in theFAA/ATC interface 350 with which the sUAS server 330 communicates.

Conversion of sUAS track and mission profiles may be undertakenspecifically to provide information in a format and protocol that can beintegrated into existing air situation products, such as ARINC'sproprietary WebASD^(SM). Existing air situation products are implementedto currently acquire FAA RADAR information in near real-time and tosupplement the FAA RADAR information with position report information.These products may provide highly configurable graphical aircraftsituation displays and integrated real-time aircraft traffic pictures toregistered users. The sUAS server 330 may format sUAS positioninformation and forward formatted information messages to the existingair situation product, which would in turn provide users with an overalldepiction of actual air traffic, including an sUAS of interest.

Conversion of sUAS track and mission profiles may be undertaken toprovide the information in a format and protocol that may be received byand integrated into Web-based mapping applications, such as GoogleEarth® or Microsoft Virtual Earth®. In these applications, the sUASserver 330 may generate appropriate XML files that enable third partymapping applications to receive and display mission and positioninformation. This enables the situational display as described above onvirtually any device including mobile devices such as smartphones,iPhones®, tablet computers, iPads®, PDAs and the like.

There are times that Direct Controller Pilot Communications (DCPC) arecritical and necessary to the safe and efficient conduct of aircraftoperations. Currently, there are no defined standards for sUAScommunications and these communications are typically accomplished usingtelephones, which may require further passing of information to theactual sUAS operator of interest. As shown in FIG. 3, each of the sUAScontrol station 320 (with a messaging application module 326), sUASserver 330 (with a messaging application server module 336), and theFAA/ATC interface 350 (with a Web-based text messaging interface 352)may constitute an integrated system for near real-time communicationamong the participating entities. Additionally, user Web-based textinterfaces 342 may be provided in order that all end users mayparticipate in the text messaging network as appropriate.

The above-identified communicating components are envisioned to providefor secure and assured integrated text messaging to appropriateregistered users and sUAS operators by incorporating an appropriatemessaging product or service into the sUAS architecture shown in FIG. 3.Messaging tools may be tailored to avail the interested parties and sUASoperators of a messaging capability that is on par with the messagingfunctionality available in commercial aviation today using ACARS likemessaging on, for example, an advanced integrated communication linknetwork. A message display window may be provided on a workstation usedby any interested party, including on the sUAS control stations 320, todisplay a message window on a situation display. The message window mayallow users to send immediate text messages to specified user recipientsincluding sUAS operators. A message may appear on the sUAS controlstation 320 indicating a new message has been received. The sUASoperator may also initiate messages on the sUAS control station to beforwarded to appropriate registered recipients.

According to the above construct, the disclosed systems and methods mayrealize the following benefits in support of strategic integration ofsUAS platforms in a controlled manner in the NAS.

Real-time direct messaging communications may be facilitated between ansUAS operator and one or more remote users, including Air TrafficControllers, mission coordinators, and the like, via an sUAS controlstation operated by the sUAS operator. These sUAS communications maysupport the concept of two-way communication between sUAS operators andremote users or systems.

The sUAS control station may be supplemented with software thatimplements communications with the sUAS platform using variousprotocols, e.g., MAVLink, over various communication methods, e.g.,Wi-Fi, 900 MHz and the like.

sUAS communications between an sUAS control station and other componentsin a networked communicating environment, including with an sUAS serveras shown in FIG. 3, may use commercially-available networks, such ascellular, satellite, Wi-Fi with cellular backhaul, or a combination ofthe above. sUAS control station communications to the sUAS server mayemploy HTTP/HTTPS over TCP/IP, or Short Message Service (SMS),protocols.

The sUAS control station may extract relevant information from theairborne platform and output the information to the sUAS server in apredefined format. It may be appropriate to use an intermediatecommunications software connector to manage communications between thesUAS control station and the sUAS server for occasions in which theprimary sUAS server software may experiences a communications loss, orto provide additional store and forward or message assurancerequirements.

The sUAS control station may have the capability of producing arudimentary flight plan, or list of waypoints. The sUAS control stationmay send this “flight plan” along with the associated aircraftidentifier to the sUAS server for integration and display. Real-timeposition information received from the airborne platform by the sUAScontrol station may be acquired and sent to the sUAS server to include,at a minimum, aircraft identifier, latitude/longitude, altitude,heading, and ground speed information.

The sUAS server, upon receiving the flight plan and subsequent positionreports from the sUAS control station using, for example, a Web serviceor other method, may store the information in a database for mapping,reporting, and archival purposes.

The sUAS server, upon receiving a flight plan from an sUAS controlstation, may make the flight plan available for display on a mappingdisplay at the appropriate time. For example, when receiving a flightplan for a future flight, it may be stored until the active time of theflight covered by the flight plan. Regardless of this flight planfunction, upon the start of flight, the sUAS control station may begintransmitting position information to the sUAS server and the sUAS servermay display the information on a mapping display based upon at least aset of predetermined set of rules and/or protocols. The positioninformation from the sUAS control station may be provided as an overlayto various map types employed by FAA/ATC facilities or that may becommercially available for use by myriad interested parties.

Beyond immediate mapping functions, the sUAS server may be provided withan ability to translate flight plan and position reports from the sUAScontrol station into multiple formats compatible with ATC or othersystems. The display product is are intended to be delivered to theinterested parties in a format that is compatible with systems used bythe interested parties.

The sUAS server may store the flight plans and position reports in adatabase for a predetermined length of time after the flight forhistorical reporting and analysis purposes.

All of the various components of the exemplary system 300, as depictedin FIG. 3, may be connected internally, and to each other viacombinations of wired and wireless communications to facilitate data,messaging and control exchange between the various interested partiesoperating the various components.

It should be appreciated that, although depicted in FIG. 3 as a seriesof separate discrete units with specific operating functionalities, thevarious disclosed elements of the exemplary system 300 may be arrangedin any combination of sub-systems as individual components orcombinations of components. In other words, no specific configuration isto be implied by the depiction in FIG. 3. Further, although depicted asindividual units for ease of understanding of the details provided inthis disclosure regarding the exemplary system 300, it should beunderstood that the described functions of any of theindividually-depicted components may be undertaken, for example, by oneor more processors within, connected to, and/or in communication withthe system components.

The disclosed embodiments may include an exemplary method for effectingremote monitoring for mission tracking and mission data acquisition, andreal-time data communication and messaging, between an sUAS operatorcommand and control console and one or more remote interested agenciesentities or operators. FIG. 4 illustrates and exemplary flowchart ofsuch a method. As shown in FIG. 4, operation of the method commences atStep S4000 and proceeds to Step S4100.

In Step S4100, predetermined flight information, i.e., a flight plan,may be obtained regarding planned operations of at least one smallunmanned aircraft at, for example, an sUAS control station. Operation ofthe method proceeds to Step S4200.

In Step S4200, the at least one small unmanned aircraft may be operatedfrom the sUAS control station to execute the flight plan. Operation ofthe method proceeds to Step S4300.

In Step S4300, a real-time position of the at least one small unmannedaircraft may be tracked by the sUAS control station. Operation of themethod proceeds to Step S4400.

In Step S4400, information may be extracted regarding the trackreal-time position of the at least one small unmanned aircraft in thesUAS control station. Operation of the method proceeds to Step S4500

In Step S4500, the obtained flight planning information for the at leastone small unmanned aircraft and the acquired information regarding thereal-time position of the at least one small unmanned aircraft may beintegrated by, for example, an sUAS server after being transmitted tothe sUAS server from the sUAS control station. Use of the sUAS controlserver may be appropriate in that it reduces required computing overheadfrom the one or more sUAS control stations with which the sUAS servercommunicates. Operation of the method proceeds to Step S4600.

In Step S4600, the individual components of the obtained flight planninginformation and the acquired information regarding the real-timeposition of the at least one unmanned aircraft, or otherwise, theintegrated information that represents a combination of these twocomponents, may be translated by an appropriate application, algorithmor scheme in the sUAS server in order to provide to other users, and/orinterested parties, information regarding sUAS operations in a mannerthat is usable by the users and/or interested parties according to theirsystem specifics and display protocols. Operation of the method proceedsto Step S4700.

In Step S4700, a the translated information regarding sUAS operationsmay be displayed as a portion of an integrated situational awarenesspresentation that includes information, for example, on other aerialtraffic, and/or other events, in a vicinity of sUAS operations.Operation of the method proceeds to Step S4800.

In Step S4800, it may be determined from the displayed integratedsituational awareness presentation of the conflict has arisen betweenthe displayed sUAS operations and the other aerial traffic and/or theother events in the vicinity of the sUAS operations Operation of theproceeds to Step S4900.

In Step S4900, a data (text) message may be formatted in or transmittedto the sUAS control station controlling the operations of the sUASaerial platform with which a conflict has arisen. The data (text)message may advise the sUAS operator in, for example, a pop-up window onthe display of the sUAS control station of the details of the potential,or actual, conflict with the operator's sUAS operations. The data (text)message may otherwise provide direction to the sUAS operator regardingimmediate, and specific actions to be taken in order to remove theconflict. These actions may include direction to land the sUAS platformand cease further sUAS operations in the involved area for somespecified period. Operation of the method proceeds to Step S5000, whereoperation of the method ceases.

The disclosed embodiments may include a non-transitory computer-readablemedium storing instructions which, when executed by a processor, maycause the processor to execute all, or at least some, of the steps ofthe method outlined above.

The above-described exemplary systems and methods reference certainconventional components to provide a brief, general description ofsuitable operating environments in which the subject matter of thisdisclosure may be implemented for familiarity and ease of understanding.Although not required, embodiments of the disclosed systems, andimplementations of the disclosed methods, may be provided, at least inpart, in a form of hardware circuits, firmware, or softwarecomputer-executable instructions to carry out the specific functionsdescribed. These may include individual program modules executed by oneor more processors. Generally, program modules include routine programs,objects, components, data structures, and the like that performparticular tasks or implement particular data types in support of theoverall objective of the systems and methods according to thisdisclosure.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that other embodiments of thedisclosed subject matter may be practiced in integrating operations ofsUAS platforms and operations in the NAS using many and widely variedsystem components.

As indicated above, embodiments within the scope of this disclosure mayalso include computer-readable media having stored computer-executableinstructions or data structures that can be accessed, read and executedby one or more processors in differing devices, as described. Suchcomputer-readable media can be any available media that can be accessedby a processor, general purpose or special purpose computer. By way ofexample, and not limitation, such computer-readable media can compriseRAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM, flash drives, data memory cards or otheranalog or digital data storage device that can be used to carry or storedesired program elements or steps in the form of accessiblecomputer-executable instructions or data structures. When information istransferred or provided over a network or another communicationsconnection, whether wired, wireless, or in some combination of the two,the receiving processor properly views the connection as acomputer-readable medium. Thus, any such connection is properly termed acomputer-readable medium. Combinations of the above should also beincluded within the scope of the computer-readable media for thepurposes of this disclosure.

Computer-executable instructions include, for example, non-transitoryinstructions and data that can be executed and accessed respectively tocause a processor to perform certain of the above-specified functions,individually or in various combinations. Computer-executableinstructions may also include program modules that are remotely storedfor access and execution by a processor.

The exemplary depicted sequence of executable instructions or associateddata structures represents one example of a corresponding sequence ofacts for implementing the functions described in the steps of theabove-outlined exemplary method. The exemplary depicted steps may beexecuted in any reasonable order to effect the objectives of thedisclosed embodiments. No particular order to the disclosed steps of themethod is necessarily implied by the depiction in FIG. 4, except whereexecution of a particular method step is a necessary precondition toexecution of any other method step.

Although the above description may contain specific details, they shouldnot be construed as limiting the claims in any way. Other configurationsof the described embodiments of the disclosed systems and methods arepart of the scope of this disclosure. It will be appreciated thatvarious of the above-disclosed and other features and functions, oralternatives thereof, may be desirably combined into many otherdifferent systems or applications. Although the above description maycontain specific details, they should not be construed as limiting theclaims in any way. Other configurations are part of the scope of thedisclosed embodiments. For example, the principles of the disclosedembodiments may be applied to each individual user, sUAS operator andinterested party, where each user may individually employ components ofthe disclosed system. This enables each user to enjoy the benefits ofthe disclosed embodiments even if any one of the large number ofpossible applications do not need some portion of the describedfunctionality. In other words, there may be multiple instances of thedisclosed system each processing the content in various possible ways.It does not necessarily need to be one system used by all end users.Accordingly, the appended claims and their legal equivalents should onlydefine the disclosed embodiments, rather than any specific examplesgiven.

We claim:
 1. A system for communicating regarding small unmanned aircraft flight operations, comprising: an information extraction module associated with a control station for the small unmanned aircraft that extracts and forwards information regarding a geographic position for the small unmanned aircraft substantially in real time from the control station; a control station messaging module associated with the control station by which an operator controlling the flight operations of the small unmanned aircraft sends and receives formatted messages to and from interested parties concerned with flight operations of the small unmanned aircraft, the formatted messages being displayed on a display screen of the control station; an aircraft information server that is programmed to receive the information regarding the geographic position for the small unmanned aircraft, to translate the received information to a format that is used by the interested parties, and to transmit the translated information to the interested parties for display; and an aircraft information server messaging module that transfers the formatted messages between the control station for the small unmanned aircraft and the interested parties.
 2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a remote messaging module associated with a display device operated by at least one of the interested parties by which the at least one of the interested parties sends and receive formatted messages to and from the operator controlling the flight operations of the small unmanned aircraft, the formatted messages being displayed on a display screen of the display device.
 3. The system of claim 2, the display device being one of a smartphone, a tablet computer, a notebook computer or a laptop computer.
 4. The system of claim 2, interested party formatted messages being sent to the control station for the small unmanned aircraft via the aircraft information server messaging module.
 5. The system of claim 2, the display device displaying at least one of pre-flight planning information regarding an intended route of flight and information regarding the geographic position for the small unmanned aircraft to provide the at least one of the interested parties with a situational awareness display regarding the flight operations of small unmanned aircraft, wherein, when a conflict is determined to exist with the flight operations of the small unmanned aircraft based on the situational awareness display, a conflict message is generated to advise the operator controlling the flight operations of the small unmanned aircraft of the conflict.
 6. The system of claim 5, the conflict message including instructions directing the operator controlling the flight operations of the small unmanned aircraft of actions to take to avoid the conflict.
 7. The system of claim 6, the conflict message directing the operator controlling the flight operations of the small unmanned aircraft of actions to cease the flight operations.
 8. The system of claim 6, the at least one of the interested parties being an air traffic control facility, the aircraft information server translating the information regarding the geographic position for the small unmanned aircraft to a format for direct integration into air traffic control systems used by the air traffic control facility, the air traffic control system determining that the conflict exists with the flight operations of the small unmanned aircraft and generating the conflict message to advise the operator controlling the flight operations of the small unmanned aircraft of the conflict.
 9. The system of claim 1, the formatted message being one of a text message or an SMS message.
 10. The system of claim 1, communications between the control station messaging module and the aircraft information server messaging module being exchanged over an internet connection.
 11. A method for communicating regarding small unmanned aircraft flight operations, comprising: providing information regarding a geographic position for the small unmanned aircraft substantially in real time from a control station; sending formatted text content messages via a control station messaging module in the control station to interested parties concerned with flight operations of the small unmanned aircraft as a supplement to the information regarding the geographic position for the small unmanned aircraft, the sent formatted messages being displayed on a display screen of the control station; and receiving formatted text content messages from remote messaging modules of the interested parties, the received formatted messages being displayed on the display screen of the control station.
 12. The method of claim 11, sent and received formatted text content messages being relayed through an aircraft information server messaging module in an aircraft information server that is programmed to receive the information regarding the geographic position for the small unmanned aircraft, to translate the received information to a format that is used by the interested parties, and to transmit the translated information to the interested parties for display.
 13. The method of claim 11, at least one of the remote messaging modules being associated with a display device operated by at least one of the interested parties by which the at least one of the interested parties sends and receives formatted messages to and from the operator controlling the flight operations of the small unmanned aircraft, the interested party formatted messages being displayed on a display screen of the display device.
 14. The method of claim 13, the display device being one of a smartphone, a tablet computer, a notebook computer or a laptop computer.
 15. The method of claim 13, the interested party formatted messages being sent to the control station for the small unmanned aircraft via an aircraft information server messaging module.
 16. The method of claim 13, further comprising displaying on the display screen of the display device at least one of pre-flight planning information regarding an intended route of flight and information regarding the geographic position for the small unmanned aircraft to provide the at least one of the interested parties with a situational awareness display regarding the flight operations of small unmanned aircraft.
 17. The method of claim 16, further comprising: determining that a conflict exists with the flight operations of the small unmanned aircraft based on the situational awareness display; and generating a conflict message with the display device to advise the operator controlling the flight operations of the small unmanned aircraft of the existence of the conflict.
 18. The method of claim 17, the conflict message including instructions directing the operator controlling the flight operations of the small unmanned aircraft of actions to take to avoid the existing conflict.
 19. The method of claim 18, the conflict message directing the operator controlling the flight operations of the small unmanned aircraft of actions to cease the flight operations.
 20. The method of claim 17, the at least one of the interested parties being an air traffic control facility, the aircraft information server translating the information regarding the geographic position for the small unmanned aircraft to a format for direct integration into air traffic control systems used by the air traffic control facility, the air traffic control system determining that the conflict exists with the flight operations of the small unmanned aircraft and generating the conflict message to advise the operator controlling the flight operations of the small unmanned aircraft of the conflict.
 21. The method of claim 11, the formatted message being one of a text message or an SMS message.
 22. The method of claim 11, communications between the control station messaging module and the aircraft information server messaging module being exchanged over an internet connection.
 23. A non-transitory computer readable medium on which is stored operating instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to execute the steps of method for communicating regarding small unmanned aircraft flight operations, the method comprising: providing information regarding a geographic position for the small unmanned aircraft substantially in real time from a control station; sending formatted text content messages via a control station messaging module in the control station to interested parties concerned with flight operations of the small unmanned aircraft as a supplement to the information regarding the geographic position for the small unmanned aircraft, the sent formatted messages being displayed on a display screen of the control station; and receiving formatted text content messages from remote messaging modules of the interested parties, the received formatted messages being displayed on the display screen of the control station. 